paper

Statistical mechanics for non-reciprocal forces

arXiv:1403.2417 · doi:10.1103/PhysRevX.5.011035

Abstract

A basic statistical mechanics analysis of many-body systems with non-reciprocal pair interactions is presented. Different non-reciprocity classes in two- and three-dimensional binary systems (relevant to real experimental situations) are investigated, where the action-reaction symmetry is broken for the interaction between different species. The asymmetry is characterized by a non-reciprocity parameter , which is the ratio of the non-reciprocal to reciprocal pair forces. It is shown that for the "constant" non-reciprocity (when is independent of the interparticle distance ) one can construct a pseudo-Hamiltonian and such systems, being intrinsically non-equilibrium, can nevertheless be described in terms of equilibrium statistical mechanics and exhibit detailed balance with distinct temperatures for the different species. For a general case (when is a function of ) the temperatures grow with time, approaching a universal power-law scaling, while their ratio is determined by an effective constant non-reciprocity which is uniquely defined for a given interaction.

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